Psychology

When someone reaches on tiptoes for the cookie jar, ignoring the baby carrots on her plate, we see more than a literal act of reaching: We understand the beliefs, desires, and motivations that lead to the action in the first place. Research from developmental psychology... click to read more

Pretend-play is a favorite pastime for American children. They mentally transform the here and now, preparing pretend meals in toy kitchens, frolicking around on fake horses, and feeding baby dolls with plastic bottles. By age 4, children spend approximately 20% of their waking hours engaged... click to read more

Angeline Lillard | Professor at Early Development Lab, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Jessica Taggart | PhD student at Early Development Lab, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

We have known for a long time that sustained physical exercise, performed at moderate intensity, has a positive impact on the brain. Beyond brain health, exercise also improves cognitive abilities - people who exercise regularly have better memory, attention, or even intelligence, on average.
A trend... click to read more

David Moreau | Research Associate at School of Psychology, Centre for Brain Research, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zeland

Imagine that you're on the way to the airport to catch a flight, but your car breaks down on the side of the road. In this situation, some of the solutions you would immediately consider seem obvious: you might call a friend, hail a taxi,... click to read more

Dancing forms a huge part of human social life, and humans often get together to dance when romance is in the air but what makes a good dancer?
Human courtship is complex, yet we currently know a lot about the physical factors involved in one person... click to read more